Russia-Ukraine war: WHO reports 162 attacks on Ukraine's healthcare centres; 73 fatalities

As the Russia-Ukraine war has intensified, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday revealed that it has recorded nearly 162 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine since Russia commenced its assault on February 24. Further, WHO stated that these assaults on healthcare facilities have resulted in 73 fatalities and 52 injuries between February 24 and April 16, The Kyiv Independent reported.  

In addition to this, earlier on Tuesday, WHO stated that it has been battling to deliver two electricity generators to hospital institutions in Mariupol, Ukraine's beleaguered port city, which has been the worst affected since early March.

According to media reports, in the midst of the Russian invasion, residents have become "desperate" due to a lack of electricity, conflict, and depleting food supplies, Doctors Without Borders said. WHO said it was attempting to supply 15 generators to Ukraine hospitals from its center in the west Ukrainian city of Lviv. 

During a briefing to media in Geneva, WHO Europe spokesperson Bhanu Bhatnagar noted, "One of our biggest concerns right now is maintaining people who need help." 

Attacks on health services are a "violation of international humanitarian law": WHO

Apart from this, on April 8, WHO in a press release claimed that 103 assaults were reported on Ukraine's health services, with 89 assaults on health institutions and 13 attacks on health care transportation, including ambulances. The attacks on health services, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, are a "violation of international humanitarian law".

He urged Russian authorities to put a stop to the conflict in Ukraine, emphasising that "peace is the only way forward". At a news conference, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that they were upset by the continued onslaught on health care. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine informed that more than 500,000 Ukrainians have been deported to Russia and are being held by Russian military.

According to Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the invaders forced 500,000 Ukrainians, which included 121,000 children, to flee to Russia. Furthermore, Kyslytsya underlined that this is a kidnapping that demands a global reaction, as per media reports. 

Guterres will visit Russia, Ukraine in the coming week 

In an effort to support efforts to cease Russia's all-out assault on Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will fly to Moscow on April 26. For lunch and professional discussions, Gutteres would visit Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. 

Guterres will further travel to Ukraine after his two-day visit to Moscow. The Secretary-General would visit Ukraine next week, UN spokesperson Eri Kaneko said in a statement. On April 28, he will meet with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and will be welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

(Image: AP)